The state of Georgia Arbor Day, December 6, 1907 suggestive program [1907]

THE STATE OF GEORGIA
~RBOR DAY
December 6, 1907
SUGGESTIVE PROGRAM
Song. Scripture reading. Invocation. -Reading of State School Commissioner's letter. Quotations in answer to roll-call. Recitation. Essay. Recitation. Essay. Song of Dedication. Planting the trees.
W. B. MERRITT, STATE SCHOOL COMMISSIONER

Learn well from bird and tree and rill The sin of dark resentment,
And know the greatest gifts of God
Are faith and sweet contentment. -Alice Cary.

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THE STATE OF GEORGIA
c..ARBOR DA Y
December 6, 1907
W. B. MERRITT, STATE SCHOOL COMMISSIONER
SCRIPTURE READING.
And the Lord God planted a garden eastward III Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed.
And out of the ground made the Lord God to g:ow every tree that is pleasant to the sight,. and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
And the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an axe again~t them; for thou mayest eat of them, and thou shalt not cut them down (for the tree of the field is man's life) to employ them in the siege.
For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth the bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread W

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the eater; so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void; but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing 'whereto I sent it. For yeshall go out with joy and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands,
Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; 'and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
LETTER OF' STATE SCHOOL COMMISSIONER.
To the Superintendents arnd Teachers of the Schools of Georgia,: An Act approved December 16, 1890, requires that Arbor
Day shall be observed as a day for tree planting, and for appropriate exercises connected therewith, in all public schools of this State. No part of our common school course of study is more emphatically outlined as a part of school work than is the observance of Arbor Day "as the superintendents and teachers may think best, iJ~ order to show the pupils the value and beauty of forestry by practical tree planting on school, church, and other public lots and lawns, as well as on the publichighways."
December 6th of this year is our State Arbor Day. 1 any schools are not in session at this time, or _for any good reason aJnother date is found by the superintendents and teachers to Ix more convenient, the exercises of Arbor Day might be held on another date. This program contains s1,lggestions and a few selections appropriate for Arbor Day exercises. Other material will be added by the superintendents and individual teachers. The selection of trees, and the study of them, should begin some time before Arbor Day. Pupils should be impressed with the hurtful results of the great destruction of forests which is
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now going on; they should be impressed that this destruction of forests will soon bring about a scarcity of timber, and will produce unfavorable climatic changes. This is a niatter of such serious importance that the Federal Governnlent has set aside large forest reserves. The Agricultural Department at Washington is making every effort to encourage tree planting, and the replanting of our wasting forest areas.
It is a matter of great interest that our State University has established a department of forestry, a brief report of the work of whi.ch is contained in this pamphlet.
The observance of Arbor Day is now an important feature of school work of every State. It ought to be an inspiration to the children of every school to know that in their study of trees, and in the planting of trees, they ar~ taking part in a movement that 1S not only State wide, but national. Our imagination can scarcely picture the wonderful results that will come to the home, the school, churches, parks and roadsides, in the form of beautiful and useful trees when the millions of school children of this nation shall properly observe Arbor Day.
W. B. MERRITT) State School Commissioner.

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ARBOR DAY SONGS.

INVOCATION. (Air- "America.")

We, children of the free, Come here to plant this tree,
With prayer and song; A living sign to stand, Of love to Fatherland,
While years prolong.

In every flower and tree, God's forming hand we see,
And His great love, And every bud <lind l~af Increases our belief
In heaven above.

Dear God of Nature, grant

This tree which now we plant

May live and grow,

To bless with grace, with shade,

This loved <lind cherished glade,

Our love to show.

-Po Harlow.

SONG OF DEDICATION.
(Air-"Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean.")
The tree we are planting this good day Is chosen with tenderest care;
May beauty adorn it, hereafter, Arid clothe it with usefulness rare.
May green leaves appearing each springtime Be leaves of a fair book of Fame,
And spread to the breezes the story Extolling the new-given name.

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The tree is an emblem of greatness, As, springing from one tiny seed,
It mounts ever upward and onward An emblem of greatness, indeed!
The birds sing its praises to others, The winds carry swiftly the tale,
The tree is the mon~rch of forest, Of hill, valley, greenwood and dale. -Ellen Beauchamp.

WE LOVE THE TREES. (Tune-"There's Music in the Air.")

We love the grand old trees, With the oak, their royal king, And the maple, forest queen, \Ve to her our homage bring. And the elm with stately form, Long withstanding wind and storm; Pine, low-whispering to the breeze, 0, we love the grand old trees!
We love the grand old trees, The cedar bright above the snow, The poplar straight and tall, And the willow weeping low, Butternut and walnut, too, Hickory so staunch and true, Basswood blooming for the bees, 0, we love the grand old trees!

We love the grand old trees, The tulip branching broad and high, The beech with shining robe, And the birch so sweet and shy, Aged chestnuts, fair to see, Holly, bright with Christmas glee, Laurel, crown for victories, 0, we love the grand old trees.

-Selected.

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QUOTATIONS.

The best verses I have produced are the trees I have planted.

-Holmes.

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There is no unbelief,

Whoever plants a seed beneath the sod

And waits to see it push away'the clod

Trusts in God. -Bulwer-Lytton.
***
Oh, happy trees which we plant to-day,

What great good-fortunes wait you!

For you will grow in sun and snow

Till fruit and flowers freight you.
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Summer or winter, day or night,

-Selected.

The woods are an ever new delight;

They give us peace, and they make us strong,

Such wonderful balms to them belong;

So, living or dying, I'll take my ease

Under the trees, under the trees. -Stoddard.
***
When we plant a tree we are doing what we can to make our

planet a more wholesome and happier dwelling place for those

who come after us, if not for ourselves. As you drop the seed,

as you plant the sapling, your left hand hardly knows what your

right hand is doing. But Nature knows, and in due time the

Power that sees and works in secret will reward you openly.

-Holmes.
***
The tree planter and teacher united in one shall be declared

the best benefactor of modern times-the chief provider for

posterity.

-H. Sterling Morton.

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If thou art worn and hard beset With sorrows, that thou wouldst forget, If thou wouldst read a lesson, thcrt will keep

Thy heart from fainting and thy soul from sleep,

Go to the woods and hills! No tears

Dim the sweet look that Nature wears.

-Longfellow.

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He who plants. a tree,

He plants love; Tents of coolness spreading out above

\Vayfarers, he may not live to see.

Gifts that grow are best,

Hands that bless are blest;

Plant; life does the rest.

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Heaven and earth helps him who plants a tree,

And his work its own reward shall be.

-Lucy Larcom.
* *- *

Therefore am I still

A lover of the meadows and. the woods And mountains, and of all that we behold

From this green earth; of all the mighty world Of eye and ear, both what they half create And what perceive; well pleased to recognize

In nature and the language of the sense, The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse, The guide, the guardian of my heart and soul,

Of all my moral being.

- wordsworth.

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Every tree is beautiful, every grove 1S pleasant, and every forest is grand. The planting and care of trees is exhilarating

and a pledge of faith in the future; but these ::esthetic features,

though elevating, are incidental. The people need wood. They

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have had it in abundance and have been prodigal in its use, as we are too often careless of blessings which seem to have :no end. Our history, poetry, and romance are intimately associated with the woods. Our industries have developed more rapidly because we have had plenty of cheap timber. Millions of acres of bare hillsides that produce nothing profitably should be growing trees.
-Hon. James Wilson.
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PLANT SONG.
0, where do you come from, berries red, Nuts, apples and plums, that hang ripe overhead, Sweet, juicy grapes, with your rich purple hue, Saying, "Pick us and eat us; we're growing for you?"
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0, where do you come from, bright flower and fair, That please with your colors and fragrance so rare, Glowing with sunshine or sparkling with dew? "We are blooming for dear little children like you.
"Our roots are our mouths, taking food from the ground, Our leaves are our lungs, breathing air all around, Our sap, like your blood, our veins courses throughDon't you think, little children, we're somewhat like you?
"Your hearts are the soil, your thoughts are the seeds; Your lives may become useful plants or foul weeds; If you think but good thoughts your lives will be true, For good women and men were once children like you."
-Nellie M. Bro'iG'1l.
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FOREST HYMN.
The groves were God's first temples. Ere man learned To hew the shaft, and lay the architrave, And spread the roof abo\;e them-ere he framed The lofty vault, to gather and roll back

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The sound of anthems; in the darkling wood,

Amid the cool and silence, he knelt down,

And offered to the Mightiest solemn thanks

And supplication. For his simple heart

Might not resist the sacred influences

Which from the stilly twilight of the place,

And from the gray old trunks that high in heaven

Mingled their mossy boughs, and from the sound

Of the invisible breath that swayed at once

All their green tops, stole over him, and bowed

His spirit with the thought of boundless power

And inaccessible majesty. Ah, why

Should we, in the world's riper years, neglect

God's ancient sanctuaries, and adore

Only among the crGwd, and under roofs

That our frail hands have raised? Let me, at least,

Here, in the shadovv of this aged wood,

Offer one hymn-thrice happy, if it find

Acceptance in His ear.

-Bryant.

***
THE LIVE OAK.

In contemplative attitude The moss-draped oaks stand silent there--
Veiled sisters of the cloistered wood, 'With reverent heads low-bowed in prayer;
And many a soft "Our Father" sighs, And low "Hail Mary," sad and sweet,
As some faint wailing zephyr dies Among the violets at their feet. -Montgomery M. Folsom.

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BRITISH FOREST RESTORATION.
The area of the woodland of the British Isles is now reduced to about 3,000,000 acres, which is only 39 acres to each 1,000 of the country's total area. This is a smaller proportion than that in almost every other European country. Austro-Hungary has 343 acres of forest to each 1,000 acres; Russia, 342; Germany. 257; Sweden and Norway, 250; France, 159; Italy, 145; Belgium, 142; Holland, 72; Denmark, 60. It is estimated that, in addition to about $15,000,000 in tropical woods, Great Britain imports annually $60,000,000 worth of oak, ash, pine, etc.
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WHAT DO WE PLANT?.'
What do we plant when we plant the tree? We plant the ship which will cross the sea, We plant the mast to carry the sails; We plant the plank to withstand the gales, The keel, the keelson, and beam, and knee; 'vVe plant the ship when we plant the tree.
What do we plant when we plant the tree? We plant the houses for you and me; 'vVe plant the rafters, the shingles, the floors; 'vYe plant the studding, the lath, the doors; The beams and siding, all parts that be; We plant the house 'when we plant the tree.
What do we plant when we plant the tree? A thousand things that we daily see; 'vVe plant the spil"e that out-towers the crag; We plant the staff for our country's flag; We plant the shade, from the hot sun freeWe plant all these when we plant the tree.
-Henry Abbey.

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RECITATION-FOREST SONG.
A song of the beautiful trees, A song of the forest grand, The garden of God's own hand,
The pride of His centuries. Hurrah! for the kingly oak,
For the maple, the sylvan queen, For the lords of the emerald cloak,
For the ladies of the living green.
For the beautiful trees a song, The peers of a glorious realm, The linden, the ash, and the elm,
The poplar stately and strong. Hurrah for the beech tree trim,
For the hickory, staunch at core, For the locust thorny and grim, . For the silvery sycamore.
A song for the palm, the pine, And for every tree that grows, From the desolate zone of snows
To the zone of the burning line. Hurrah! for the warders proud,
Of the mountain side and vale, That challenge the thunder cloud,
And buffet the stormy gale.
So long as the rivers flow, So long as the mountains rise, May the forests sing to skies,
And shelter the earth below. Hurrah! for the beautiful trees,
Hurrah for the forest grand, The pride of His centuries,
The garden of God's own hand.
-w. H. Venable.

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FORESTRY.
Thirty years ago forestry was not practiced in the United States; and beyond a few references to it in lectures on other subjects, forestry was not taught in our educational institutions.
Cornell began instruction in professional forestry in 1898, Yale in 1900, Harvard in 1903, and the University of Georgia November 27, 1906. Interest in forest education has been increasing until there are now ten institutions in the United States which offer professional courses in forestry.
It has been said that the purpose of acquiring knowledge is twofold-the discipline of the mind and the increase of information. Forestry has both of these qualifications.
As a disciplinary study forestry possesses many of the advantages of a biological study combined with many of those of civil engineering.
The information which f~restry imparts is of interest to the student of economics, because the products of the forest contribute directly to the wealth of the nation, and because the forest contributes indirectly to the general welfare through the influc ence which it exerts on soil and climate; and to the farmer and the lumberman because of the financial interests.
Forestry as a mental discipline and as a source of information may with propriety be included in the curriculum of a college.
The courses of forestry that have been embodied in the curriculum of the State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts of the State University are as follows:
Economics of Forestry-This brings out the importance of the forest to the State and to the nation.
Farm Forestr:v-This will give a working knowledge of planting, thinning and harvesting the forest crop.
Dendrology-This comprises a botanic' and economic study of trees and shrubs.
Sih~culture-This deals with growing and reproducing the forest crop.
Forest Protection-A study of the injury to forest stands

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from trespass, fire, storms, insects, fungi, and grazing, and of protective measures.
Forest Mensurationf--This teaches computation of the contents of logs, standing trees and forest stands; studies in diameter, height, and volume increment; ocular estimation of tim15er; log scales and their uses.
Forest Management-Forest valuation; financial returns from forest property; principles of forest working plans; construction of working plan for a given tract.
Lumbering a'nd Utilizoltion-A study of the lumber industry and the uses of wood.
Prof. Alfred Akerman) Chair of Forestry, State University.
SELECTIONS FROM LEE'S READERS, WHICH MAY BE USED AS RECITATIONS.
Planting of an Apple Tree-Bryant. (Lee's Fou~th Reader, page 255.)
\Voodman Spare That Tree-Morris. (Lee's Fourth Reader, page 71.)
What the Wood Fire Said to the Little Boy-Stanton. (Lee's Fourth Reader, page 60.)
Plant a Tree~Lucy Larcom. (Lee's Fifth Reader, page 391.)
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT WORK.
For the past few years the following offer has been made: A yearly prize of $~5.00 in money will be offered to the school that makes the best progress in school improvement. The prize will not necessarily go to the school that makes the best showing of its condition, but to the one that makes the most r~

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Improvement. It will be seen, therefore, that all schools will have an equal chance for the winnirig of this prize. The tea~hers of
the schools that compete for this prize will make out 'a; report
in writing, stating the condition of the grounds, buildings, etc., at 'the time the School Improvement Club was formed and the condition at the time of the report, giving details as to how the work of betterment has been accomplished. The report in .each case will be signed by the teacher and must have the indorsement of the county school superintendent as to correctness. All such competitive reports will be submitted to an impartial.committee at the University Summer School at Athens and the prize of $25.00 will be awarded to the school whose report shows the greatest relative improvement. It is stipulated that the $25.00 is to be spent for some school improvemen~ purpose.
This year the Industrial School at Poplar Springs, Laurens county, Misses Petry and Martin, principals, securE;d the prize.
THE REASON WHY.
The reason why the work of school improvement should enlist the efforts of the teacher and of the friends of the school, is the effect of surroundings on the character of children. Neglected and ugly buildings and grounds cannot fail to have a depressing and even a demoralizing influence. Neat and attractive buildings and, grounds cannot fail to be inspiring and helpful in their effect. "The growth of the imagination and the artistic nature 'will result from making the school environment attractive; the finer sense will be developed and the character of those who do the work will be strengthened; a love of the beautiful will be imparted, which wi1llast through life and manifest itself in the homes which the pupils shall build in future years."